Samba e Amor

Born in Rio’s artistic beach culture in the late 1950’s, Bossa Nova endures as a beautiful and timeless music tradition. Love songs sung in sensual tones and played on acoustic guitars, layers of string and brass orchestration, that evoke the warmth of summer and feeling carefree.

We’ve chosen favorites by artists synonymous with the style such as Chico Buarque, Gal Costa and Antonio Carlos Jobim, as well as songs by contemporary Brazilian artists such as Lucas Santtana whose album ‘Sem Nostalgia’ or ‘Without Nostalgia’ ties into the past without being imprisoned by it. He explains, “when nostalgia is a view of an idealized past that is more attractive than the present it imprisons us and blinds us to other possibilities.” Although we stuck exclusively to Brazilian artists, rather than be bound to the genre of Bossa Nova, we let it inspire us. We hope you enjoy!

The image above is part of a collection shot on Ipanema beach in Rio in the early 60’s. The collection was fortunately discovered in a Rio flea market by photographer Peter Lucas and forms part of his upcoming film that explores the last moments of an artistic and cultural period in Brazil before the military takeover. Image is courtesy of The Last Hour of Summer film project, www.lasthourofsummer.com.

So glad you found us! Havent been posting too much lately, but we’re working on a new playlist we hope to post soon. Meanwhile, we have about 20 playlists available for you to stream! Let us know which ones are your favorites. Lilly